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Customer Charter

Customer Charter

Barnet Football Club is a family Club at the heart of the local community and we strive to deliver an outstanding family experience.

We prioritise the delivery of excellent customer service at all times and it is at the heart of every aspect of our business. All employees of Barnet FC share this vision and are committed to providing supporters with a first-class sporting experience when they visit The Hive London.

OUR KEY COMMITMENTS

We are committed to building a business that is self-sufficient and has the ability to be competitive at the highest level of the game.

We are committed to ensuring The Hive London has a reputation for being a safe and friendly environment for all our visitors, Home and Away, regardless of age, gender or background.

We are committed to working towards a new generation of Barnet supporters and will always provide affordable pricing for our younger fans.

We are committed to being a consumer champion on behalf of our supporters - making our prices competitive and recognising the importance of good value.

We believe all our employees, including Players and Playing Staff, should set a good example to children and be a credit to the Club and local community.

OBJECTIVES FOR SEASON 2016/17

We will continue to work with you via our Tell Us campaign (tellus@barnetfc.com). Please note that all comments received from fans are recorded before being actioned by the relevant Club personnel. We take all customer comments seriously and act proactively, responding to all feedback and with our practices being regularly reviewed by management to reflect on the reported concerns and suggestions of our supporters.

We believe that our supporters should feel a part of the Club and we will continue to offer various opportunities for fans to meet our Players. Our Community Day, in particular, is open to all as a fun day for supporters of all ages to mix with Players and soak up the pre-season excitement!

We undertake to continue our commitment to The Hive Foundation. We are proud of the Foundation’s work within the community and the involvement of our Players in a variety of inclusive programmes. The Foundation is a registered charity (No. 1132710).

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Under the banner of The Hive Foundation, Barnet F.C. commits itself to providing a wide range of activities, events and projects for people across the spectrum of our local community.

As part of our continued commitment, we will continue our involvement in key initiatives - including national campaigns, such as Kick It Out, Level Playing Fields and further dedicated English Football League initiatives.

THE CONDUCT OF OUR STAFF

At all times, our staff will conduct themselves appropriately and with a courteous and helpful manner towards all customers.

We do not discriminate against people on the grounds of age, disability, sex, race (which includes colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins), religion or belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy, maternity or because someone is married or in a civil relationship.

As a business, we commit to providing equal employment opportunities and also believe that our employees should be able to work in an environment free from harassment of any kind.

MATCH TICKETS

We will always do our very best to ensure that you receive the best value tickets when attending a Barnet F.C. match. To achieve this goal, full details of all prices are available both online and by phone when speaking to one of our Ticket Sales staff (from 9am – 8pm, Monday – Friday and 9am – 6pm, Saturday-Sunday), who will always be happy to give advice specific to your request. We will advertise ticket availability, prices, change in ticketing policy and fixture changes as quickly as possible through our website and other Club publications.

Access for all: Tickets are available for Members and Non-Members. Concessions are provided at a reduced price for those aged under-19 or over-64, as well as junior tickets being available for supporters under-14 years.

Access for families: Particular emphasis is given to encouraging young people and their families to come to The Hive London with reduced prices available for young Members and their families. We have a dedicated Family Area and reserve the right to relocate supporters in the Family Area should police advice suggest this will enable the Stadium environment to be safer on matchday.

Access for disabled supporters: The Club commits to ensuring access for supporters regardless of their disability. Where a personal assistant is required, the Club will admit the complimentary entry subject to ticketing requirements being met and on the understanding that they are providing a service to the disabled supporter to enable them to access matchday facilities. Proof may be required but for full details please contact us on 0208 381 3800. In accordance with our Health and Safety Regulations, there are designated disability areas and access facilities within The Hive London in order to help improve the overall matchday experience.

Access for Away supporters: Prices for visiting supporters will not be higher than those charged to Home supporters in comparable areas. Barnet FC will abide by English Football League rules governing the allocation and pricing of tickets to visiting Clubs.

Access for corporate clients: Corporate facilities will be offered at competitive prices. We will regularly monitor our prices to ensure they remain competitive and are in-step with the wider business community.

Access to Cup matches: Ticket prices for Cup matches can only be announced when both ourselves and the opposition Club have mutually agreed on the details. Whilst prices will vary according to the status of the game, it is the Club’s intention to keep these at good value and ensure as many fans as possible are able to attend. Barnet F.C. will abide by the competition rules governing the allocation of tickets to visiting Clubs.

Access to replays of abandoned games: If a match is abandoned after spectators are admitted to the ground but before kick-off, ticket holders will be entitled to free admission to the rearranged match. If a match is abandoned after kick-off, the Club reserves the right to charge the full ticket price for the rearranged match but every effort will be made to avoid this.

Access to refunds: Exchanges are offered, not refunds - unless there are extenuating circumstances, which are agreed by the Ticket Office and the ticket is returned to the Ticket Office not later than 24-hours prior to the game.

Access to Memberships: Signing up to a Membership is made very simple and can be done at The Hive from 9am – 8pm, Monday – Friday and 9am – 6pm, Saturday-Sunday. Rates are very competitive, starting from as little as £1 per month. Joining fees are charged but Membership payments may be made upfront for a minimum of 2 months or via monthly Direct Debit. All Memberships come with benefits beyond access to games.

Parking: Parking on-site is available with designated disabled parking bays. Please note that all parking is on a first-come, first-serve basis and there is a charge in line with the Council’s ‘Green Initiative’. Parking plans are available as a part of Membership and information can be obtained from our Membership Department.

LOYALTY & MEMBERSHIP

Our Members are offered a range of benefits that reward their loyalty and increase the benefits to them of being associated with Barnet F.C. Full details may be attained prior to purchase but include a 15% discount on matchday ticketing, 15% discount on merchandise, food and drink (including alcohol) and entry to Member only events (subject to restrictions).

SUPPORTER COMMUNICATION

We will strive to be open and transparent in our communication towards supporters.

There are many forms of media through which fan can now keep up-to-date with news from the Club. These include the Club’s official services via the web (www.barnetfc.com), e-mail (newsletters), Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

We encourage interactive engagement through social media and any fan feedback is encouraged via our Tell Us campaign (tellus@barnetfc.com). The Chairman and the Manager will also aim to continue their popular online Q & A sessions with fans.

As well as the forms of communication described above, we aim to continue meeting with supporters on a face-to-face basis. A Supporters’ Group meets with management on a regular basis to discuss ideas and air concerns. To contact the Group directly, please address all communication to:
c/o Eddie Thompson

Constructive criticism and positive feedback delivered via any of the communication methods explained above will be treated with respect and answered where appropriate.

MERCHANDISING

Working with Jako, we will undertake extensive research on design and quality to ensure our supporters receive the best possible product at a reasonable price.

All replica strip design will have a minimum life span of one season and it is currently the Club’s intention to launch new Home and Away kits every season.

The Club will carry out its obligation under the English Football League rules to prevent price fixing in relation to the sale of replica kit.

Barnet F.C. will offer exchanges or refunds on merchandise where appropriate and in accordance with our legal obligations. Please visit our online shop at www.barnetfc.com to find full details of our conditions of sale.

FOOD & DRINK

The Club has designated Home and Away bars with a wide range of food and drink on offer. Healthy snacks, child-friendly food, vegetarian and allergen food are on offer with our menu regularly reviewed to accommodate supporters. Should you be concerned about any particular dietary requirement, please contact the Club in advance on 0208 381 3800 and make your concern known to our staff at the time of purchase.

Alcohol is generally available for purchase within the site subject to the necessary ID and additional checks.

All ground regulations will be followed in regards to what food and drink may be brought into the stands. Please note that any food or drink externally brought into the ground may be checked by stewards and may be disposed of where required.

HOSPITALITY

The Club offers hospitality packages for fans through our Commercial Department. Please do not hesitate to contact them on 0208 381 3800, opt. 3 for further details.

THE HIVE FOUNDATION

We are committed to our local community both in contributing towards the development of community initiatives through The Hive Foundation and by being a responsible neighbour for the residents of the Camrose Avenue area. Regular residents’ meetings are held at The Hive London with our management in order to work with our neighbours.

The Foundation is a registered charity running community sports and educational activities on behalf of Barnet Football Club.

The Foundation currently runs activity programmes within Middlesex and its surrounding areas, including the London Boroughs of Harrow and Barnet.

With a dedicated, committed and extremely passionate team of staff, the Foundation is able to not only develop a wide range of creative projects but also deliver them to a high quality.

The Foundation’s work currently focuses on four key themes which are: Sports Participation, Social Inclusion, Health and Education. Each of the Foundation’s projects and activities fits under one of these themes or cuts across a number of them.

Please visit the Foundation’s page at www.barnetfc.com or give them a call on 0208 381 3800.

CHARITABLE REQUESTS POLICY

We receive so many requests for assistance with charities and fund-raising that we have developed a policy to determine which will be put forward for consideration. Preference will be given to organisations supporting the local community, and young people in particular. In addition to this, we also support the nominated English Football League charities.

All requests should be put in writing to tellus@barnetfc.com , so they may be given due consideration. We very much regret that it is not possible to meet all requests.

SAFEGUARDING POLICY

The Club and its Staff, full-time, part-time and volunteers, either paid or unpaid, have a duty of care to safeguard from harm all children involved in the Club. All children have a right to protection, and the needs of disabled children and others who may be particularly vulnerable must be taken into account.

Barnet F.C. will ensure the safety and protection of all children involved in any activity or series of activities arranged by or in the name of the Club through adherence to the Child Protection guidelines adopted by Barnet F.C.

The policy, procedures and systems are mandatory for all staff whose employment involves working with children or vulnerable adults, either paid or unpaid, on behalf of the Club. All staff share the responsibility for the protection of children and vulnerable adults and will show respect and understanding for their rights, safety and welfare.

A child is defined as a person under the age of 18 (The Children Act 1989). A full copy of this policy can be requested by contacting our HR department on 0208 381 3800.

HEALTH & SAFETY

The Club have trained paramedics and Crowd Doctors on-site as and when required by our Safety Officer.

All on-site incidents must be reported at the time to the attending medical practitioners or a Duty Manager (accessible from the Main Building).

DATA PROTECTION

Information and data on our customers may be stored on computer or manual files in order to maintain accurate records and may be analysed to assist us in providing our products and services to them.

We may, from time to time, contact customers by letter, telephone, email or otherwise to inform them about events, products or services that we think might be of interest to them. Unless customers have given their consent, we will not provide information about them to third parties for their marketing purposes.

Customers can advise us at any time if they wish to opt out of receiving this information. – But remember, opting out could stop the Club from contacting customers about things that may benefit them, for example ticket availability, forthcoming events or offers.

VENUE

We are committed to ensure that The Hive London is always a safe and friendly environment for both Home supporters and those of visiting Clubs. Our stewards are fully trained to the nationally recognised Level 2 qualification in Spectator Safety and will strictly follow the official Ground Regulations, whilst also being on hand for any customer support required.

It is our ambition to keep The Hive London a state-of-the-art venue. We are committed to ensuring all areas are cleaned to the highest standard and, with careful planning, we aim to continually modernise our facilities.

The stadium safety policy can be found HERE.

The English Football League’s Ground Regulations can be found HERE.

MINIMUM LEVELS OF SERVICE YOU CAN EXPECT TO RECEIVE FROM US

At all times, we will endeavour to communicate efficiently and effectively regarding the Club's business dealings.

We will develop and implement systems and services that make transactions quick and easy for our customers.

CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS AND FEEDBACK

Despite our best intentions we acknowledge that we can always improve our products and services to our customers. We actively encourage feedback – positive and negative – so that we can monitor our continuous improvement goals across all areas of the business including those stated in our customer charter.

If you wish to give feedback about a product or our service, then there are two key ways of getting in touch. Either:

Your correspondence will be acknowledged and forwarded to the appropriate manager(s) for attention – and action, if appropriate.

Customers are asked to include contact details as part of their correspondence in order that we may respond.

We undertake to review our Customer Charter annually and wherever possible implement changes and improvements in line with comments and feedback from our supporters.

COMPLAINTS TO AN INDEPENDENT BODY

If you feel that Barnet F.C. has not dealt with your matter to your satisfaction, independent routes to direct your complaint to are available. Please note that it is now possible to contact the IFO without first contacting the English Football League.

The English Football League can be contacted at:

Customer Service Department
The Football League Limited
Edward VII Quay
Navigation Way
Preston
PR2 2YF

E: enquiries@football-league.co.uk
T: 0844 335 0183

The IFO (Independent Football Ombudsman) are also available to be contacted, if so desired:

The Independent Football Ombudsman
Suite 49
57 Great George Street
Leeds

W: www.theifo.co.uk
T: 08005884066

Please note that according to the IFO’s new ADR procedure, there is no longer a requirement for a formal governing body stage and complaints need not be made to the EFL prior to contacting the IFO.